Social Action & Science

Being With DyingThis Professional Training Program for Clinicians in Compassionate Care of the Seriously Ill and Dying is fostering a revolution in care of the dying and seriously ill. Clinicians learn essential tools for taking care of dying people with skill and compassion.

ChaplaincyA visionary and comprehensive two-year program for a new kind of chaplaincy to serve individuals, communities, the environment, and the world.

This seventeen-day autumn retreat at Upaya Zen Center focuses on the depth and breadth of silent illumination, shikantaza, “just sitting.” The schedule will be spacious to allow for long periods of silent meditation. Through weekly dharma talks and seminars, we begin by exploring Bodhidharma’s vision of direct pointing to mind, and end with Zen Master Dogen’s practice of shikantaza, the direct realization of Buddha mind itself. We also explore the views of great Chinese masters Huineng and Hongzhi, who set the field for the practice of zazen.

The Fall Practice Period is continuous from November 1-17 and includes four periods of zazen daily, Zazenkais, dharma talks, seminars, temple trainings, council practice, study periods, samu (work practice), concluding Sesshin focusing on "silent illumination", and two personal practice days a week. There will also be opportunities for practice interviews with advanced resident practitioners. The Practice Period concludes with a Sesshin that supports participants in sitting for longer periods of time in the practice of "silent illumination."

See below "reader" for this practice period. PDF can be downloaded.

One may also come to the Zazenkais and Sesshin separately.

When you sign up for the entire Fall Practice Period, it will include participation in:

More about the instructors:

Shinzan Jose Manuel Palma was born in Veracruz, Mexico. He has been practicing Zen since 1996. He met his former teacher, Korean Zen Master Samu Sunim in Mexico City and trained under his guidance for 8 years. He did a residential training for 4 years at the Zen Buddhist Temple in Toronto, Canada and was ordained as a novice priest by Samu Sunim in 2004. After leaving Canada, he was invited by Roshi Joan Halifax to come to Upaya in 2006. Shinzan asked Roshi to be her student and he was re-ordained as a Priest in 2007 by Roshi Joan Halifax. Since then, he has been at Upaya practicing with the community. He is now the Head Priest and Temple coordinator, giving guidance to the residents on Zen training. He became Dharma holder on March, 2010. He has a sincere and strong heart committed to the Dharma.

Joshin Brian Byrnes, is a Dharma Holder and student of Roshi Joan Halifax, having received Hoshi from her in 2014. He is a Zen priest and currently serves as Upaya's President and point person for the Upaya's residency program. He is also the director of Upaya's Chaplaincy program and is a core faculty member with a focus on systems theory. Joshin has a long background working in social service nonprofits and community philanthropy. He worked in the AIDS epidemic throughout the 1990s and since 2003 has led a variety of community foundations focused on social change and community leadership. His academic background includes undergraduate and graduate work in philosophy at St. Meinrad College and Archabbey, theology at the Aquinas Institute at St. Louis University while he was a member of the Dominican Order, and then early music performance at New England Conservatory of Music, and doctoral work in medieval musicology at New York University. He is ever interested in finding ways of life that are both deeply contemplative and fully engaged with the world.